As autumn leaves fly away and storms of frigid, fluffy snow roll in, the excitement of Christmas rushes into our minds. With Christmas comes all the fun festivals in Lakewood, and one that should ring a bell is the annual Light Up Lakewood event.
Light Up Lakewood features fun music, a fabulous holiday parade, tasty food trucks, fireworks, a colorful light ceremony, and more. But this beloved festival comes with much preparation—perhaps more than you think.
“It takes many, many months. We spent probably two-thirds of the year planning this event while also planning all of our other events,” Ian Andrews, executive director of LakewoodAlive, said.
The festival also attracts numerous sponsors and vendors, each with a unique style or gift to display at their booth. Along the colorful stretch of Detroit Avenue, small businesses set up for the upcoming event and display their extraordinary gifts. After the parade, shoppers flood the stands, leaving with memorable and unique items.
“We’ve got all sorts of different vendors selling everything from clothes to jewelry and hats, everything in between,” Andrews stated.
A big part of Light Up Lakewood involves building community and supporting vendors. Participating in this event brings cherished memories and new experiences, encouraging vendors to return in future years. This festival allows many vendors to share their crafts and amazing gifts with the community.
Lauren Shaheeda and Carrie Moore, who staffed booths for Ayurveda Wellness House, reflected on how valuable the event was to them.
“As a small business owner, both of us, as women-owned businesses it allows us an opportunity to share what we do and just be in the community while doing it,” Shaheeda and Moore said.
While Light Up Lakewood has maintained a degree of consistency each year, there have been some additions. The parade has always been outstanding and fun, the lights are always incredibly bright and exceptional, and the vendors are a perfect cherry on top of this event.
Anyone who attended this year may also have seen the massive inflatable Snowman! Though the activities remain largely the same—exploring shops, trying new foods, and listening to festive Christmas music while strolling down Detroit Avenue—the event’s location has evolved.
“We’ve had to move around the Beer Garden, we’ve had to move around the parade, we’ve had to move the fireworks, we did add the giant, massive 30-foot tall inflatable snowman that’s coming back,” Andrews said.
As you walk through the madness of the streets, large crowds may catch your eye. Inside the local Lakewood Starbucks, a crowd of kids quickly forms to warm up with some tasty drinks. Within the Lakewood Vineyard Church, little shops and vendors were selling various items.
One such vendor in the church was the Good Earth Project, run by Reina Santuille Lopez. Lopez sold tasty baked goods and other treats and expressed her love for participating in the Light Up Lakewood event.
“They are really focused on lots of small businesses, and I enjoy being a part of this a lot,” Lopez states.
Lopez’s stand was a great addition to these small shops, the perfect place to find unique Christmas gifts. Every stand was a fantastic (though perhaps brief) addition to the Lakewood community of small businesses.
It’s so easy to fall in love with this festival, and choosing just one favorite aspect is no small task. But deep down, the love that brings this festival together is truly at its heart.
Lakewood is a community filled with dedicated volunteers, wonderful people, and the most enjoyable events. These events help bring the love of Lakewood together and provide all participants with fantastic experiences and memories.
Light Up Lakewood is an unforgettable event; you wouldn’t want to miss it.
